Cotter-key.



R. W. FOUTS.

COTTER KE-Y.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.25.1915.

PatentedSept. 28, 1915.

TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROY W. FOUTS, OF DAWSON, NEBRASKA.

OOTTER-KEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 25, 1915. Serial No. 4,206.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ROY W. Fours, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dawson, in the county of Richardson and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Cotter-Key ';.a nd Idohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention belongs to the sub-class or.

art of gibs and keys, and particularly relates to a new and useful cotter key, and as an object of the invention it is the aim to provide a key of this nature comprising such nother object of the invention is to provide an improved cotter key having one of its prongs longer than the other, the longer prong being bent, or deflected over the shorter prong and having its extremity alined with the extremity of the shorter prong, the outer faces of both prongs adjacent their extremities being beveled ofl', acting very materially in facilitating 'the insertion of the key in its aperture.

of the key in this regard, owing to its deflection or bent over disposition, but also acting to facilitate the separation of the prongs, subsequently to having inserted the key.

Another feature of the invention is that by providing a longer prong with its end portion bent or deflected adjacent the extremity of the shorter prong, a guide for the short prong is provided. In other words, by first inserting the additional length of one prong'in the aperture, the shorter prong will easily follow, particularly owing to its outer beveled part adjacent its extremity.

Another feature of the invention is that the longer prong substantially centrally or midway of its length is slightly bent at an obtuse angle to the base of the prong, which not only permits the deflected end portions to overlie the extremity of the shorter prong, when the two prongs are pressed together The longer prong not only facilitating the'use for insertion in an aperture, but also acts to cause the longer prong to automatically separate from the shorter prong subsequently to the keys insertion in a spindle, so that both prongs may be more easily fully sep-v arated. I

Another feature of the invention is that the longer prong adjacent the bend, which forms the .bent end portion, is formed or constructed with a recess, of the shape shown, lnto which the shorter prong may be depressed, in order to further facilitate the lnsertlon ,of the key through an aperture of a shaft or spindle pintle. i

In practical fields the details of construc- Patented Sept. 28, 1915. j

tion may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features I and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

Inthe drawings Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the improved cotter pin. Fig. 2 1s a View showing the pin in position to be inserted in an aperture. Fig. 3 is a view showing the pin partially inserted, illustrating how" the longer prong with its bent end portion, .acts as a guide for the shorter prong. Fig.- 4 is a view partly in .section and partly in elevation showing the pin completely inserted, showing how the prongs automatically separate in full lines, and completely separated or bent in dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a detail view in elevation of the cotter pin showing the recess of the longer prong omitted.

Referring more especially to the drawings,

1 designates the cotter pin as a whole, which comprises an elongated piece of metal, preferably semi-circular in cross section, which.

is curved or rolled upon itself to form an eye 3 (which constitutes a head) and is again bent at 4 and 5 to form long and short prongs 6 and 7. The longer prong 6 substantially centrally or midway of its length is bent at 8, providing a portion 9 extending at an obtuse angle to the part .10. The end portion 11 of the portion 9 is bent at 12 on an obtuse angle to the part 9 in the opposite direction, in which case the end portion 11 deflects or overlies the extremity of the shorter prong when the two prongs are pressed together, thereby acting as a guide for the shorter prong, in order to facilitate the insertion of both prongs in an. aperture. The bending of the longer prong substantially midway of its length facilitates and are beveled off as shown at 12 and 13, thereby acting to assist in the "1 terfkiey "in an aperture. -j1011ge'r, prong adjacent the of the cotter pin in an. aperture of a spindle pintle. The outer semi-cylindrical surfaces \pauses the two prongs to automatically sepaate, subsequently-to the complete insertion" of I both prongs adjacent their extremities insertion of the cot- The face 14 of the bend between the. part 9 and theportion 11 is constructed with 'a"recess 15' to receive the shorter prong, to

further assist in causing an easy insertionof the cotter key 1n an aperture. Th1s recess not. only assists in this regard, but also in disposing the extremity of the shorter prong farther under the extremity of the longer prong.

. However,

.wardly, slight that it is 1 When the two prongs are v8 enable the two prongs to automatically separate as shown in full lines in Fig. 4, subsequently to the cotter pin having been com pletelv inserted through the aperture;

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is f having a pair of oppositely being bent outwardly in the e of the shorter prongthefeby causin the two 7 1. -Acotter' pin comprising a 'c ircu lar head disp osed prongs, one being longer than the.other, the shorter" prong substantially midway of its lengthj being bent slightly outwardly the longer I prong approximately midway of its length opposite direction, said bend being greater than the bend prongs to automaticallyseparate a ter pass:

ing through a cotter pin receiving opening 1 of a shaft, the free end of the shorter prong being beveled upon its outer face,-the longer prong near its free end portion being bent at an obtuse angle to the portion beyond the first bend and in an opposite direction, so as to fully overlie the end of the shorter prong,

so as; to guide thelonger and shorter prongs through a receiving opening, said longer prong upon its 1nner face adjacent the second bend beingprovided with a notch or recess into which the free portionof the shorter prong is received, the inner face of the longer prong from substantially adjacent thefirst bend being gradually tapered toward and into the notch-or recess, so that the shorter prong will enter the notch or recess evenly, said notch .or recess constituting means to insure that'the portionbeyond the.

second bend will overlie theextremity of the shorter prong, the outer face of the longer prong adjacent its extremity being beveled;

2. A cotter pin comprising a head and havlng a pair of oppositelyv disposed prongs,

' one-being longer than the other, the shorter prong substantially midway of its length [being bent slightly outwardly, the longer prong being bent substantially midway of its length forming a portion extending at an obtuse angle to the'base of the longer prong,

the angularly disposed" portion having an 1 end part forming an additional length beyond the shorter prong with its extremity overlying the shorter prong and extending at an obtuse angle to the first angularly disposed portion, one-face of the long'er'prong: ad acent its second bend having a. recess to receive the .shorter prong, the outer surfaces of both prongs adjacent their'fextremi ties being beveled. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. i f

OY; w. FOUTS." Witnesses; 7

GHES'IIER W. SIPE, F;-P. PAGE. 

